Winter In Neverland
by 0xfordComma
Summary: It has been five years since Wendy said goodbye to Peter. What happens when she is kidnapped and brought back to Neverland? The once youthful island is shrouded in snow and the boy who never grows up is growing up. Peter, the fairies, and the Lost Boys all need her help to restore Neverland. How can Wendy help-and more importantly, how will she face the boy who broke her heart?
1. A King Without His Queen

AN: It's my first fanfic, so please don't judge me too harshly! This is the unedited version. This chapter is kind of a short preview, the second one will be much longer. It takes place five years after Wendy and Peter's adventures in Neverland. At this point I don't have a concrete plotline; I'm just making it up as I go along. For the purposes of this story, the Lost Boys have not left Neverland. Bit of a warning: it might get angsty later. Remember to review! Concrit is much appreciated, while flames are not. Thanks for reading :D

**Chapter 1: A King without His Queen**

Peter turned the small, grey thimble over in his hands. Even sitting at his once-favorite spot, a sun-dried rock beside the Mermaid's Lagoon, failed to bring him comfort when his mind was consumed with the thought of Wendy. His fingers glided across the smooth, cold surface of the thimble, pressing so hard against the metal that it almost burned him. Wendy's kiss. It_ did_ burn him. The memory of her sparked such anger, such bitterness in him that at times like this, he felt he could not contain it. How could she leave like that? Just the thought sent him in a rage, and suddenly he was throwing the thimble into the murky waters of the Lagoon, watching as it was enveloped by the darkness of the ripples. He held his head in his hands, sighed deeply and sat for a long time. Though it had been quite a while since Wendy had left Neverland, Peter believed he could still feel her presence lingering, humming, breathing. Sometimes, when he'd visit the Mermaid's Lagoon or Fairy Haven, he would glimpse her figure out of the corner of his eye just before she vanished, dissolving into the sweet Neverland air. Sea-blue eyes, honey-colored hair, rosy lips, then nothing.

Peter lifted his head suddenly, realizing what he had done. Her kiss was the only thing he had left of her. And he had just thrown it into the waters of the Lagoon. Without thinking, he removed his shirt (if one believed a badly arranged assortment of leaves and twigs counted as a shirt), and leapt into the freezing water. The effect was immediate. With a vengeance, the unforgiving cold sliced at his skin and stung his bones. He soon realized if he didn't get to land quickly enough, he would surely become a Never-popsicle. Panic consumed him as he searched wildly through the black water, his arms and legs thrashing about. The kiss was nowhere to be found. The search went on for quite some time, but soon his small lungs could no longer fight against the water and he floated slowly, dejectedly, to the surface, as if to say, _here, you win_. So easily, he surrendered. Where was the boy who refused to grow up? The boy who had battled six pirates all at once, never even stopping to catch his breath? The boy who had defeated the greatest pirate ever to sail the seven seas, Captain James Hook, and lived to tell the tale? Truth be told, that boy was long gone. That boy had grown up. There comes a time, when a child sees or experiences something so terrible, even their innocence can no longer protect their eyes from the cruelty of the world. Peter Pan stopped being a boy the second he began loving Wendy. There is nothing so terrible as heartbreak in this world.

Every day, every minute was spent trying to forget, waiting to feel okay again. Fighting pirates, visiting Tiger-Lily, playing with mermaids…these activities that once made up his existence no longer interested him. Most of his time was spent sitting by the Lagoon or near the salty shores of Neverland. Thinking was all he seemed to do. Sleep was not a frequent visitor, but when it did drop by, Peter would wake up drenched in sweat, screaming her name. Wendy. Come back, Wendy. _Please. _Wendy…Wendy. His screams would echo and dance through the twisting hallways of the Underground Home, awakening Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys. Overcome with worry, they would rush to his side in an attempt to console him but nothing they said or did could help. What could they do when he was not waking _up_ from a nightmare, but rather, _into _one? Their efforts were futile. Their king had fallen long ago and Neverland was in shambles.


	2. Stranger In The Night

AN: Again, this is my first story and it is currently unedited. I will love you forever if you leave a review. Concrit is much appreciated, while flames are not. Thanks for reading~

Chapter Two: A Stranger in the Night

Wendy Darling was many things. She was polite, as any young woman should be. She was educated, a perfectly adequate student in her studies of Literature, Geography, Arithmetic, History, and French. She took her tea with one milk and three sugars, just the way she liked it. She was slightly rebellious, but of course, it was assumed she would eventually outgrow that. It had been five years since her fateful adventure through the stars, but if we told Peter this, he would only knit his eyebrows in confusion and scratch his head. Peter, you see, has no sense of time. Days, months, and years are all meaningless babble to him. Neverland does not work under the same principles of time as our world does. Either way, Peter Pan and Neverland and all that was behind her now. One thing that had not died along with her childhood, however, was Wendy's intense love for story-telling. Because she was to soon be a woman and such childish hobbies should be abandoned, her Aunt Millicent forbade her from telling stories. Wendy, of course, was not deterred in the slightest. Late at night when she knew her parents had fallen asleep, she would silently slip into her brother's rooms and recount the endless tales imprinted in her mind. Romance, horror, adventure, she had it all right there in her heart, waiting to be spilled from her lips. "Tell us a story, Wendy", Michael and John Darling would whisper, barely able to contain their excitement. And so it began. In the silence of the streets of London, when everyone was sleeping warmly in their beds, one night-light was lit in the Darling House, and if you cupped your hand gently around your ear and stayed as quiet as possible, you just might be lucky enough to hear one of Wendy Darling's famous stories.

"…And he jumped off the deck, screamed 'Ay, no one breaks me heart!' and slit the princess's throat," she finished triumphantly.

"No!" gasped Michael and John simultaneously, their mouths wide open in a perfect "O". They sat Indian-style on the Victorian rug, eyes bulging, Michael holding on to his teddy bear for dear life, John gripping his hat firmly as if it might fly off at Wendy's words. This night was a re-telling of one of their old favorites, _The Pirate & the Princess.  
_

"_Yes_," affirmed Wendy, smiling. She didn't have to glance at the clock to know it was well past their bedtimes. "Alright, now off to bed, you two," she said with finality. "That's enough for tonight."

"Oh, Wendy! _Please,_won't you tell us one more?" John asked. "We're not tired, we swear!" he said, looking at Michael, who instead of agreeing, merely yawned and promptly fell asleep on the rug clutching his teddy bear.

"Traitor", he muttered, and Wendy laughed. She stood and walked over to Michael. Gently, she picked up his fragile body, then carrying it in her arms, placed it softly on the twin bed. John settled into his bed beside Michael's, setting his hat on the bedside table. Wendy didn't understand why he still wore that old thing. The hat was a reminder of their times in Neverland, and therefore an unwanted reminder of a stale, unpleasant memory. She shook her head and walked quietly out the door, being careful to leave one night-light on.

Once inside the hallway, Wendy quickly glanced at the master bedroom where her parents slept only a room away. No sound emerged. All was clear. She tip toed across the hall and into her room, silently shutting the door behind her. The sheer canopy that surrounded her bed was pushed aside as Wendy crawled her way onto the fluffy comforter. Sighing contentedly, she spread her arms out and let herself fall back onto the thousands of pillows and sheets. At last, sleep!

Unfortunately for Wendy, her mind did not have the same idea. On nights likes these, while her body yawned and prepared to shut down, her mind only yelled and performed cartwheels. Tonight it was humming like a machine, spitting out thought after thought, refusing to let itself be controlled. It raced through topic after topic, never once stopping to take a breath. Michael. John. School. Mother. Father. Marriage. Aunt Millicent. Edmond. Peter. Wendy winced at the last one. The thoughts spun faster and faster, blurring together. Then, Edmond. Edmond. Edmond. Suddenly the machine paused, repeating the thought over and over, like a broken record replays part of a song. Edmond was her fiancé. He did not seem like a particularly unpleasant fellow, though Wendy was in no position to form opinions considering she had only met him twice. Aunt Millicent had heard through one of the many gossiping women at a luncheon that the Middleton family was searching for a bride for their eldest son. As you can guess, Aunt Millicent nearly lost her panty hose at the news. At once she excused herself from the party and called a cab to take her back home. The Middleton family was one of the oldest, most distinguished families in London. Oh, to be a part of it! Aunt Millicent squealed with joy at the mere idea. However, there was much mystery crowding the Middleton House that sat upon the hill, for the Middleton family had kept quiet for years and rarely attended any parties. It was not good form to avoid social gatherings, thought Aunt Millicent, but she waved away the thought once she reminded herself of the wealth and status of the family.

Mary and George Darling were perfectly thrilled at the news, and made arrangements for Wendy and Edmond's meeting at once. At sixteen, Wendy was nearing the age to marry and a better opportunity couldn't have come up. She _wanted_to get married, she told herself. A woman needed to settle down with a man, give him children, and perform household duties. It was what she was taught growing up, and it was what would become of her. Despite her doubts, Wendy and Edmond's meeting was not a complete disaster. The Middleton and Darling parents hastily ushered the two into the garden, to "get to know one another". At first the two looked everywhere but each other. Then Edmond whispered, "I think your aunt is hiding in the rose bushes" and Wendy, forgetting herself, laughed. The ice was broken.

They talked for a long time, continuing even as the sky turned into a deep orange and pink. Wendy admired his cynical sense of humor and even permitted herself to have a good time. As they talked, she saw a bit into his life. Edmond was born and raised in London, but at the age of fifteen decided London's dull pace was not for him. "I believed there were much more important things than knowing the difference between a salad fork and a pastry fork", he said, shrugging. For years, he traveled. He did not divulge into the details of his travels, but Wendy was sure she saw his eyes sparkling. Edmond's eyes, a piercing blue, were simply entrancing. "Why did you come back?" she asked, incredulous, for she hated this place just as much as he did. "Life", he replied, "does not allow one to wander too far before it is time to come back". And that was that. We must, always, come back. No one knew that better than Wendy Darling.

And so preparations were under way for Wendy and Edmond's extravagant wedding. The Darling House was in constant, churning chaos. If Aunt Millicent wasn't pacing back and forth on the rug in the drawing room, breathing with the ferocity of a lion, she was running down the hall screaming "FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME, WOMAN, I SAID _LILIES_, NOT AZALEAS!" Tensions were running high, and it was more than once that Mary Darling snapped at one of the children. Wendy simply stepped back and watched timidly as the adults around her rushed and scrambled in the race against time. Despite the impression Edmond had made on her, she was still apprehensive about her marriage. Isn't this what she had prepared for her whole life? All that knitting, and sewing, was that not to provide pleasant little clothes for her children? The cooking, and cleaning, to take care of her husband and the house? Nevertheless, it was all so overwhelming, all so…_sudden. _The wedding was in five days. Five days did not allow her much time to draw her childhood to an end.

Wendy's thoughts were most rudely interrupted by a rustling outside her window. Her mind and body suddenly alert, she listened for any noises that might follow. Wendy thought she could hear a very faint voice, belonging to a boy, whispering, but it soon disappeared. Moments passed in silence. _It's late_, she told herself, _I should get to sleep_. Unfortunately for Wendy, there would be no sleeping that night; for just as she reached across to turn off her bed-side light, a small voice shouted:

"Now!"

And in one quick motion, the window flew open with a _whoosh, _a figure climbed in, taped Wendy's mouth, arms, and legs, and as she thrashed her body, threw a brown sack over her, shrouding her in darkness.

"Mmmph!" Wendy yelled, her voice muffled by the tape. If this was John playing a nasty prank on her, she would surely get him back for this. She made a mental note to hold his comic books over the furnace until he begged for forgiveness. She paused mid-thrash to grin at the thought. Then she resumed her kicking and yelling. The musty brown sack smelled of sandalwood and mothballs.

"Alright, we've got her. Now what?" asked the voice. Wendy stopped once more at the vaguely familiar voice. It wasn't John, but yet it still rang a bell somewhere deep inside her brain. Who could the voice be talking to? He was alone...Wasn't he?

To her astonishment, a reply in the form of about million jingling bells answered him. That could only mean one thing: Fairies. The dancing bells were the sounds of the lilting Faerie language. Wendy was all too familiar with fairies, particularly the dreadful Tinkerbell. When the two last met, Tinkerbell had caused Wendy much anguish. Her envy regarding Wendy and Peter's friendship brought her to pull Wendy's hair, frequently voice her dislike with hateful conviction, and enlist the Lost Boys in a mission better known as "Shoot the Wendy Bird". In truth, Tinkerbell was not a particularly sadistic fairy. It is said that fairies are small creatures, with such tiny bodies, that they simply only have room for one emotion at a time. Therefore, they do not possess the human ability to make well-informed decisions based on right and wrong. To fairies, there is no conscience, no choice, only action.

Suddenly Wendy could feel herself rising, as light as a feather. Those demons! They had sprinkled the sack with fairy dust! Wendy struggled to push her weight downward, to no avail. In the fight between fairy dust and gravity, we all know who wins. Angrily, she kicked blindly, making contact with a moving body. The boy swore under his breath. Wendy grinned.

Wendy could feel the temperature lowering drastically, and she realized with a groan that she was hovering over the London streets. A few jingling sounds near the vicinity of her left ear told her that a fairy was on her side. _What if Edmond were to see me right now? Or Aunt Millicent?, _she thought in a panic. How was she to explain all of this? Before she could ponder the possibilities, immediately and without warning, Wendy felt her entire body compress. The experience felt similar to being shoved into a dryer, clicking start, and tumbling among the laundry. Wendy's brain wobbled in her skull, and her dinner threatened to make a reappearance. Wendy had felt this before. Although she could not see it, she knew at the very moment she being flung through the stars, flying past dimensions and worlds filled with creatures she couldn't even begin to imagine. The boy without a face and the fairies must be taking her to Neverland, she thought. The magic she sensed all around her was undeniable.

The sack was picking up speed. Wendy's ears nearly exploded from the rushing sound of the wind. They were about to land. Question was, were they going to have a _crash_landing? The sack spun faster and faster, hurtling toward the island, and Wendy shut her eyes, fearing the worst.

To her surprise, she felt her side touch a soft ground. The wind stopped. Wendy and the boy breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then, remembering where she was, Wendy demanded to be released, in the only way Wendy could.

"Lemf Meh Ouau!"

"Alright, alright, keep your knickers on" piped the boy cheerfully, and untied the knot at the apex of the sack. Wendy burst out, taking in her location. Her mouth and arms might have rendered useless, but her eyes were not blindfolded. They seemed to be standing on the roots of a tree covered in moss, surrounded on all sides by darkened water. Her eyes fell on the scrubby, chestnut-haired boy of about thirteen. She stared back at those twinkling brown eyes, glistening with mischief, so familiar as if from a dream…_Slightly! _Her eyes widened at the realization. Slightly grinned back at her, apparently finding her shock amusing. She hadn't seen the mischievous Lost Boy in what—five years? He was different, somehow. Taller. Wendy cocked her head to the side, trying to place the change in Slightly, as his hands fumbled with the rope on her arms and removed the tape from her mouth.

Wendy was about to cry out when Slightly silenced her with his hand and gestured to a spot behind her. Wendy turned, and found a boy soaked with water, sitting on a rock and staring up at her in wonder. His hair was rustled, his eyes were hopeless. Just as she had left him.

"Peter", she breathed.


	3. A Bitter Reunion

**AN**: I know I took a long time to update, and I feel terrible, I'm so sorry :\ This chapter moves a bit more slowly; it's more for introducing you to the plot, so I promise things will get more exciting in later chapters! Again, keep in mind that the **Lost Boys have not left Neverland**. Thank you so much for all the follows, messages, and reviews! They brighten my day. Anyway, enjoy! :')

Chapter Three: A Bitter Reunion

Peter couldn't believe his eyes. _Wendy_? Here, in Neverland? Wendy had changed so drastically since they had parted that Peter had mistaken her for a Lost Girl at first. Slightly and the other Boys were always attempting to cheer Peter up by bringing home girls that they thought could replace Wendy. It never worked. Nobody could replace Wendy. Her hair had turned a completely dark walnut-brown, and loose strands of it were now fluttering in the wind. A little sparkling fairy dust was still visible on her white satin nightdress and gave her the impression of an over-sized fairy who had just jumped into a box of glitter. Fairy dust and all, she was still as beautiful as he remembered. Her auroral blue eyes tore into Peter's, and for a split second, they seemed to be desperately searching for something. However, whatever emotion was behind her eyes quickly gave way to another. Peter was still staring up at Wendy in amazement when she stormed up to him and smacked him right across the face.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he cried, bending over and clutching his cheek in pain.

"That," she said matter-of-factly, "was for leaving me."

"You _wanted_ to leave!"

"You don't know what I wanted." Wendy's voice was softer this time. It was silent for a moment while Peter processed this. His eyes drifted to a tiny acorn on her neck, pierced with a small hole. It hung loosely on her neck, its edges old and worn from time. His eyes widened.

"You're still wearing my-"he began, but was interrupted by Slightly who shouted:

"Alright, you two lovebirds! We can all have a big family reunion _after_ we get this all sorted out." Peter and Wendy scowled at Slightly but were silent as they were ushered through the brambly forest. Wendy wondered briefly what exactly it was that they were going to sort out. Whatever it was, she simply didn't have the time for it. She had a wedding to attend. Her _own_. She needed to get back to London as soon as possible if she didn't want to infuriate Aunt Millicent by being late for her own wedding. Slightly had removed the bindings on her body, meaning her feet and arms were free, and she could escape. But where would she go? There was nowhere to run. So instead, for the first time since arriving in Neverland, Wendy studied her surroundings. Around her, the forest was dark, the moonlight peeking through the branches above her, casting a shadowy light on the silhouettes of their figures. The air around her smelled strongly of rain and wood, and had a strangely calming effect on Wendy's frazzled nerves. It had been years since she'd been here, but she never forgot the air of Neverland, the air that reminded her of strawberries and summer. As they went deeper into the jungle, she noticed the temperature begin to drop and small white patches begin to appear on the rugged terrain. She gasped in surprise when she felt a cold drop on her head, causing her to look up and find to her astonishment that it was snowing. Her thin nightdress did little to protect her from the cold and she shivered, bringing her arms together for warmth. _Why was it so cold, anyway? s_he wondered.

Peter heard her shiver beside him and he stopped abruptly, causing Wendy to stop as well. He began to take off his jacket made of leaves when Wendy said

"No, Peter, you don't have to-"

"I do," he said quietly, and Wendy understood. He placed the jacket around her shoulders gently, his fingers lightly grazing her arm, and Wendy smiled, grateful for the warmth. Peter grinned, and Wendy could not stop the blush that crept up her cheeks at the sight of the boy flashing her that heart-stopping smile she had not seen in years.

"I'm glad you two are getting along, but this is no time for flirting" Slightly interrupted, smirking, and the two quickly turned away from one another, their faces red. Wendy stopped smiling immediately. He's _joking, _she told herself. It was a joke. She stared at her feet and Peter scowled at Slightly, but Slightly merely chuckled, a knowing smile on his face. They resumed their walk deeper still into the forest, Wendy and Peter silent, deep in thought as Slightly went on about some game he had won against the other Lost Boys. They tried to pay attention, and tried not to think too much about the cold.

Soon they arrived at a large clearing in the heart of the forest surrounded on all sides by dark, looming trees. Five boys sat around a crackling fire, laughing and joking. The flames from the fire danced in the wind, illuminating the night sky and lighting up their faces. Wendy's heart warmed as she remembered the boys and their adventures all those years ago, back when they had called her Mother. Looking back, those had just been silly games, but they had seemed so real to them at the time. She had harbored resentment for Peter all these few years, but she could never quite bring herself to be angry with the Lost boys…

"Wendy!" Tootles, the first to see her, came running toward her. When the rest of the Lost Boys looked up and saw Wendy, they ran to meet her as well, and they all hugged her. Wendy, unable to hide her joy at seeing them, laughed and hugged them back. There was clamor and laughter as they all started talking at the same time.

"We've missed you, Wendy!" shouted Tootles.

"Did you now?" Wendy shouted back, giggling.

"Yes!" the Twins yelled.

"We made you your very own bow and arrow, Wendy!" shouted Nibs.

"Oh I'm flattered, really! It's beautiful! You really didn't have to— "

"Why on earth is everyone screaming?!" Slightly shrieked.

They all quieted and sat down.

"Right then. We have to discuss the matter of Neverland." He paused and looked at the seven of them sitting on the ground, all watching him with intentful eyes. He continued. "Now, Wendy, you're most likely wondering why we've invited you he—"

"Kidnapped", Wendy corrected.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Slightly gave her a strange look before continuing. "Anyway_,_Wendy, what I'm getting at is—"

"It's true, we did kidnap her..." Curly muttered.

The others murmured in agreement.

"Yeah, it was quite rude, wasn't it…"

"Sorry, Wendy."

"We'll never do it again, we promise!"

"Oh it's quite alright, I'm just glad I got to see all of you again and—"

"For Christ's sake, would you all just shut up already?!" Slightly was fuming.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before beginning again.

"Okay. Wendy, you're here because Neverland is dying. There's no other way I can say it. Now, I'm not sure if you remember, but Neverland used to be a place in an eternal summer. Day or night, it would always be sunny, and it would always be warm." He paused and picked up a piece of snow from the ground. "Now, not so much." The Lost Boys nodded in solemn agreement.

"And even worse, everyone on the island's starting to grow up."

Wendy's eyes widened. She had known something was off when she noticed they all looked slightly taller, but she hadn't been certain, since it could have just been her remembering them wrong. It had been five years, after all. Her eyes immediately looked over to Peter, who was sitting on a tree stump, looking down at his feet. She turned her attention back to Slightly, who was staring at her expectantly.

"Okay…Say this is true…How do you expect me to be able to help? And… how did this even happen in the first place? I mean, there must be a reason for it, right? Lost Boys don't just _wake up_ one morning three inches taller," Wendy said slowly, still trying to process what a grown up Peter meant.

"Right. Here's the short answer: Neverland is simply an extension of Peter himself. It exists because he does. But because of _you, _Peter started to grow up. Started to feel things. Something called love, he said it was. Since Neverland and Peter are one, Neverland felt it too. Next thing we know, fairies are dropping dead left and right and all of us are getting taller every day, bit by bit."

Wendy didn't hear anything Slightly said after "something called love". Her mind went back to the fight she and Peter had in the forest when she asked him if he felt love. "Never heard of it," he had told her, his lips inches away from her face. His face had hardened and there was a darkness behind his eyes that convinced her that she had been wrong about him, about _them_. She cried for hours that night.

Peter spoke now for the first time. "Wendy, we need your help. _I _need your help. Since you left, nothing's been right. We need you to make things right again." His eyes bore into hers, not at all the same eyes that had looked straight at her and told her he'd never felt love. These eyes were soft, and they were pleading.

"Peter, I…I'm sorry, but I can't," Wendy sputtered, her mouth struggling to form coherent words. Her lips felt dry and her heart was beating a mile a minute. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, she felt horrible.

"Why not?" Peter asked, surprised. His shoulders slumped back and he cocked his head to look at her.

He didn't understand the words that came out of her mouth next.

"I can't stay. I-I'm getting married in five days."

AN: Yes I know you all hate me because I ended on a cliffhanger again. I just can't help it, it seemed like the best way to split up this story. This chapter had quite a bit of dialogue; sorry, I just love writing the Lost Boys! Anyway stay tuned, I promise I will eventually update, no matter how long it takes me. Leave a review, and make me happy ^_^.


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